The 4th Annual Global Spin Awards took place on Tuesday (November 17th) at the PlayStation Theater in the heart of New York City. The event, which was hosted by Swizz Beatz, brought out a who’s who of Hip-Hop’s elite from yesteryear to present day. The excitement was contagious even at the shows inception as the personalities were beaming with joy to talk to the media, sharing their stories as they made their way through the red carpet. The humility and grace was genuinely felt, considering that the DJ’s are often the unsung heroes responsible for the success of major artists.


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The attendees soon made their way to the showroom for the commencement of the ceremony and the energy was at an all time high. Being filmed by Revolt, everyone in attendance brought out their best formal attire, which is a stark contrast from many of the usual superstar regalia worn by celebs at other award shows. With a quick glance at the audience, it was clear that generations of Hip-Hop were sharing the spotlight as the likes of Afrika Bambaataa, Melle Mel, 2 Chainz, DJ Mustard and everyone in between were in the room.

Winners included, DJ Whoo Kid, who won for the Online/Satellite Radio DJ OTY and DJ Carisma for Female DJ OTY. Power 105 made it out big as DJ Self snagged the trophy for Hip-Hop DJ OTY and The Breakfast Club’s DJ Envy took home the coveted DJ of the Year award. During his heartfelt acceptance speech, it became clear that much of the back and forth between the rival stations is not as personal as thought. DJ Envy took the time out to namecheck each DJ that helped him along with the way, personally thanking his colleagues DJ Self and DJ Clue, but also DJ Funkmaster Flex, DJ Mister Cee and DJ Enuff whom were in attendance.

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One of the highlights of the night was Yonkers, NY trio The LOX hitting the stage to surprise host Swizz Beatz, congratulating him on surpassing 300 Million records sold. A brief video montage was played, which included Swizz’s grandmother, uncles Dee and Waah, as well as famed music executive Clive Davis, whom also extended their congratulations. Dee and Waah, founders of the legendary Ruff Ryders, along with Swizz’s mother then took the stage and presented him with plaques commemorating the accomplishment. Samantha Ronson and Jessica Rosenblum also hit the podium to present the Breaking Barriers award to DJ Mark Ronson, whom was visibly overwhelmed, sharing how much of an honor it was for him to be in the same room with some of the greatest contributors to Hip-Hop culture.

The hallmark of the ceremony came towards the end when Hip-Hop pioneers Kool Moe Dee, Kurtis Blow, Melle Mel, Busy Be Starski and Grandmaster Caz all took the stage for a joint performance that included their classic hits. Afrika Bambaataa was also honored for his contributions to the culture and in doing so, brought along with him the aforementioned artists where he addressed the audience, giving a message of unity, knowledge and responsibility. The creator of the GSA, Shawn Prez took to the podium and thanked those in attendance but also emphasized how important DJ’s are to the culture of Hip-Hop and to music in general, and that their contributions should never be overlooked.

The 4th Annual Global Spin Awards will air on Revolt Tuesday November 24th at 8pm EST.